Now that Windows 8 has gone gold, Microsoft can move on to other things. With Windows 8, the most important of these is probably to make sure people know how to actually use it. Metro is filled to the brim with hard-to-discover features, but Microsoft has a plan. Will it be enough?

Windows 8 is a passive consumption toy, not a tool; with emphasis obviously on style over substance, and form that does not follow function it's pure fashion market speak being employed to sell Windows 8.

No one that buys Windows 8, products it runs on, or is perceived to compete with needs these products; that obviates 'tool' -- and technology is no more a feature here then that required to manufacture a pair of pink high heels...

What's more Micosoft has enough liquid cash to buy Windows 8 in greater volume then Windows 7 sold Scientology style, and have enough spare change left over in the slush fund to buy a few more failing countries assets -- we may never know if Windows 8 sold poorly or not.

Windows 8 is a passive consumption toy, not a tool; with emphasis obviously on style over substance

Sure there is a lot of style over substance with Windows 8 but it is still an operating system sold on computers that average around 450 dollars. It isn't a $20 dollar toy that people will spontaneously buy just to play with.